Hope for new housing to bring fresh look to Palm Is

A major housing program is set to begin next month on Palm Island, off Townsville in north Queensland, with the construction of up to 60 new homes.

Palm Island has a significant housing shortage, with about 375 publicly funded homes for 3,500 residents.

In 2007, the Federal Government announced a $14 million housing package for the island, which is finally coming to fruition.

Mayor Alf Lacey says while the two new subdivisions will not solve the problem, it will help ease overcrowding.

"We will see and continue to build on the good work that we've done so far in terms of better housing and better housing opportunities and better living conditions for the people of Palm Island," he said.

He says there has been extensive community consultation on the design of the housing.

"We don't want it to look like housing commission type suburbs or look like the old government-run mission," he said.

"We want Palm Island to ... develop its own unique, modern look and that's what I'm pushing, that any new houses on Palm Island from here on in has to have a modern look and Palm has to look a bit modern."

The tenders for the development have been handed in this week and building work could start in April.